One of the main benefits of metal detecting is constantly learning new things through the objects you find. You may not, as they say, “learn something new every day,” but certainly, it seems, you “learn something new every dig.” On my last outing, I unearthed some notable items, including a William III copper coin (1694-1702), … Continue reading »

Recently, I embarked on a day-long outing to the South Jersey farm fields. This was a new permission of my friend’s (to which he graciously invited me) on land directly adjacent to a separate property where I found my 1st Spanish cob (1620-1650). So, needless to say that I didn’t need any further proof that … Continue reading »

Some fields continue to provide great artifacts no matter how many times you scour them. This can be due to a host of factors: an expansive acreage that can never be precisely searched, changing ground conditions (e.g., erosion due to rain), the churn of the plow, etc., etc. So, it was no surprise to me … Continue reading »

On a recent outing to an unplanted field in Salem County, NJ, among other finds (King George III copper, colonial tombac coat button, 1894 Indian Head penny) I located a colonial cufflink. As I unearthed it, I immediately noticed a crude design, which in my experience is often the case with 18th century cufflinks. At … Continue reading »

Sometimes, an artifact can provide newfound excitement long after its original excavation because it is positively identified as much older and/or significant than previously thought. Such was the case with a button originally pictured in one of my previous posts. Back in early January, I had found a flat button on the same quick excursion … Continue reading »

In early January, exploring some remote parts of NJ, I was tipped off by a local about a colonial-era house with 100 acres located down a remote road on a riverbank. He had me at “colonial-era,” for shortly thereafter I was on my way to seek permission to metal detect there. Long story, short, the … Continue reading »

No matter what your hobby or interest may be, we all have those elusive, much-sought-after finds, goals, catches (think fishing), or items that we are hoping to someday cross off our personal bucket lists. For me, in my hobby of metal detecting, this was always the New Jersey state copper coin. Why the New Jersey … Continue reading »

With Old Man Winter’s reverse hibernation under way and the related metal detecting hindrances (i.e., frozen ground and frigid temps) asleep with him, I was able embark on a recent historical hunt on some fields in Salem County, NJ. I love this area because it represents one of the last vestiges of rural New Jersey … Continue reading »